There’s a new year upon us, and for eager gaming fans, that means only one thing:

A string of hotly-anticipated new releases arriving on our favorite consoles over the coming months. This spring, we’ll finally get red Dead Redemption II, the long-awaited sequel to Rockstar’s instant classic that was originally supposed to come out in 2017 before some unfortunate delays. Some time in the latter half of the year we’ll enjoy Metro Exodus, a post-apocalyptic adventure that will have this writer in particular glued to the PS4 (it’s also available on PC and Xbox One, for those wondering). In between, we’re going to have the new Yoshi game from Nintendo and the final installment of The Walking Dead franchise, but let’s be honest: compared to the plethora of amazing titles we had to contend with in 2017 (Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Odyssey, Resident Evil 7, Halo Wars 2 to name but a few), 2018 seems to be lacking when it comes to exciting new games.

At least, it does if your only definition of a game is the kind you play on an Xbox One, PS4, or similar console. Turn on your mobile, however, and you’re likely to discover that that’s where the real excitement is over the coming year. From fresh takes on old classics to new sports titles, new versions of hit blockbusters, and even new online casinos, 2018 has arguably more to offer on mobile than it does on the usual console platforms.

Not convinced?

Take a look at some of these big name releases coming to a smartphone near you in 2018. Unless otherwise noted, all games listed here are available for both iPhone and Android devices.

The X-Files: Deep State

Fans of the classic sci-fi show are already on the edge of their seats, ready for the arrival of a brand new series of X-Files this January, but those who can’t get enough of Mulder and Scully have an extra reason to rejoice: The new TV series comes with its own tie-in game, and it looks mightily impressive. Taking on the role of a top FBI agent, you’ll find yourself immersed in a high level conspiracy as you look to get to the bottom of all kinds of unexplained mysteries and seemingly unsolvable crimes.

Tekken

Though it never quite reached the lofty, crossover appeal of fellow 90s fighting favorites Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, Tekken was, arguably, always a much better game to play. So imagine how excited we were when we first learned that Bandai Namco had taken King, Akuma, Marshall Law and all our favorite ultimate-fighting warriors and put them in our pockets with the arrival of Tekken Mobile. Get ready to give your thumbs a serious work out with this one.

Star Wars: Rise To Power

Just when you thought all the Star Wars hype had gone away with the last few screenings of The Last Jedi, the world’s most famous Sci-Fi franchise is back, and this time, it’s on your phone.

A mobile strategy game, Rise to Power, has you join forces with other players from across the globe to take either the Empire or the New Republic to glory and victory. The game is clever, highly engaging, and requires more wit and smarts than mere button-bashing, expect this to be on every Star Wars fan’s phone come the end of the year.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

We don’t want to be lazy and say that ‘Wizards Unite’ is basically Pokemon Go with Harry Potter, so instead we’ll tell you that this uses cutting edge augmented reality technology which enables players to interact with famous characters from the magical franchise, cast spells, and collect objects whilst exploring their real-world environments. So, yeah, nothing like Pokemon Go at all. OK, we’re kidding, that’s exactly what it is, but given how popular that game became, we fully expect to see Pottermania rule supreme once again come the end of 2018.

The Walking Dead: The Final Season

Yes, there’s a version of this coming out for your favorite consoles, and yes, it’s going to be amazing, but that doesn’t take away anything from the fact that Telltale Games mobile version promises to be awesome in its own right. Bringing you right into the heart of The Walking Dead’s undead-infested world, you’ll play the role of Clementine as you fight for survival in what promises to be an exhilarating mobile release to rival anything you’ll find on a console in the New Year.